Keyboard mechanism for cash-registers.



m. 7|o;25a. Patented Sept. 30, I902. l. s. DEMENT & F. J. HULL. KEYBOARDMECHANISM FOR CASH REGISTERS.

(Application filed Sept. 20, 1901.) (No Model.)

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No. 7l0,258. Patented Sept. 30, I902.

l. S. DEMEHT &. F. J. HULL. KEYBOARD MECHANISM FOR CASH REGISTERS.

(Application filed. .Sept. 30, 1901.) (No Model.) I 6 Sheets-Sheet).

ml (D N I Q Q Q fk R az zyzetmea, fravenzvr No. 7|0,258. Patented Sept.30, I902.

l. S. DEMENT & F. J. HULL.

KEYBOARD MECHANISM FOR CASH REGISTERS.

(Application filed Sept. 20, 1901.)

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

ewmea, Zuzzezzfvny No. 7|0,25 a. Patented Sept. 30, I902. s. DEMENT & F.J. HULL. KEYBOARD MECHANISM FOR CASH REGISTERS.

(Application filed Sept. 20, 1901.) (N 0 M o d a l mununnuu 7 1nunuunnnn 6 Sheets-Shoat 4.

N0. 7l0,258. Patented Sept. 30, I902.

I. S. DEM'ENT & F. J. HULL. KEYBOARD MECHANISM FOR CASH REGISTERS.

(Application filed Sept. 20, 1901.)

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N0. 7l0,258. Patented Sept. 30, I902.

I. S. DEMENT & F. J. HULL. KEYBOARD MECHANISM FOR CASH REGISTERS.

(Application filed Sept. 20, 1901.) (No Model.) 6 Shaets8heat 6.

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UNITED STATES ISAAC S. DEMENT, OF EAST ORANGE,

PATENT OEEicE.

NEIV JERSEY, AND FOSTER .I. HULL,

OF BROOKLYN, NEW" YORK, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO AMERICANMECHANICAL CASHIER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

KEYBOARD MECHANISM FOR CASH-REGISTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,258, datedSeptember 30, 1902.

Application filed September 20, 1901. Serial No. 75,948. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ISAAC S. DEMENT,18 siding at East Orange, in thecounty of Essex, State of New Jersey, and FOSTER J. HULL, re-

siding at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, State of New York, citizensof the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Keyboard Mechanism for Cash Registers and Recorders and Mechanical 10Cashiers, of which the following is a specification. 7

This invention relates to improvements in keyboard mechanism for cashregisters and recorders and mechanical cashiers; and its object is tocontrol the operation of such apparatus by selecting devices having alinear movement as distinguished from a rotary movement and to providefor locking of the keyboard mechanism in a simple and eflicient 2omanner.

The keyboard mechanism which forms the subject of the present inventioncomprises a plurality of groups of keys, a plurality of groups ofselecting-slides, means whereby the operation of any key will operatethe corresponding slide and will look all the other slides of thatgroup, and a plurality of controllerslides, each controlling one of theelements of the recorder or register and each cooperating with a groupof the selecting-slides to control the extent of movement of suchregister and recorder element. In the case of a mechanical cashier eachof the keys operates to control the cash-delivery mechanism, andthelocking devices above described serve to lock the unoperated keys ofthe corresponding group, and therefore prevent improper operation of thecashier.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofthe'mechanism embodying our invention with some parts broken away andothers shown in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mechanism with thekeyboard and selecting devices removed, showing the devices whichdirectly control the operation of the register or recorder. Fig. 3 is aplan View of the selecting devices and the tumblers whereby they areactuated by the keys. Fig. l is a plan view of a portion of theselecting devices, the actuating and locking tumblers being omitted.Fig. 5 is a section on the line a a in Fig. 3, showing the cooperationof the tumblers and selecting-slides. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig.5, showing the operative position of a single train of key mechanismcomprising a key, tumbler, selecting-slide, and controller-slide. Fig. 7is a section on the line Z) l) in Fig. 3, showing the controllerslidesand their resetting devices. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, butshowing the controller-slides in operated position.

The various parts of the mechanism are mounted on suitable frame-plateson a base 1 and are inclosed by a casing. (Not shown.)

The keyboard comprises the keys 2, sliding in guiding and supportingframe 1 and normally held up by springs Beneath each key is pivoted arocking tumbler-plate 4, these tumblers or rocking plates 4; beingstrung on pivot-shafts 5, fixed in the frameplates 1, and the respectivetumblers being located with their upper front portions beneath therespective keys, so that as each key is depressed it turns thecorresponding tumbler. Ten keys 2 and ten tumblers 4 are shown for eachgroup for the ten digits 0 to (G 9-77 The selecting devices 6 consist ofparallel bars arranged below the tumblers at in a plurality of groups,corresponding to the group of keys 2 and of tumblers 4, said bars 6sliding in suitable fixed combs or guide-plates 7 7. Each slide Got agroup has a projection or lug 8, adapted to be engaged by the lower edgeof the corresponding tumbler, and also a series of lugs 8', adapted toproject in front of any tumbler that has been operated, so that as anykey is depressed and turns the corresponding tumbler the lower edge ofthis tumbler engages the lug S of the correspond- 9o ing selector-slideto move said slide rear wardly, as shown in Fig. 6, and the rear edge ofsaid tumbler extends in back of a lug S on each of the other slides 6 ofthat group, so as to prevent rearward movement of such other ()5 slides,and thereby prevent the operation of any other key 01": that group.There are only nine slides 6, since the zero key and tumbler do not haveto move any selecting-slide, but only to lock the other keys of thegroup. Bars 6 have inclined shoulders 6, engaging plate 7, to hold thebars until they are operated by the keys.

The controlling devices proper for the register or recorder consist ofslides or bars 10, sliding in fixed guide-plates 11 11 and extendingparallel to one another, but transversely to the bars 6, there being onebar 10 for each group of keys and selector-slides. The parallelselecting-slides are located at a distance apart equal to the distancebetween adjacent positions of the corresponding controller-slide, andthe movement of the latter slide is transverse to that of theselectingslides and is parallel to the line or plane in which the stopportions of the selecting-slides are arranged and the same portion ofthe controller-slide engages with any one of the selecting-slides thatmay be projected. The bars 10 carry racks 10, engaging pinions 12 onshafts 13, which operate the register or recorder, or both, according tothe character of the machine. Thus the shafts 13, through pinions l4,drive rack-bars 15, which may constitute the type-carrying members of arecorder, and these bars 15 may also serve to operate the several wheelsof a register through any suitable connecting means. Springs 16 serve todraw the respective bars 10 longitudinally, and a series of pawls 17 onrock-shafts 18 engage with notches 10 in the respective bars to normallyhold the bars against endwise movement, said pawls being held in suchengagement by springs 19, acting on rock-shafts 18. Each pawl 17 isbroad enough to extend across the ends of all the slide-bars 6 of agroup, so that when any slidebar of a group is operated, as abovedescribed, it will engage the pawl, and the latter will be forced out ofthe notch in the controller-slide 10, said slide then being pulledendwise by its spring 16 until the end of the notch strikes the bar 6which has been thus projected. The amount of travel of the bar 10 thusdepends on the position of the particular bar 6 which has beenprojected. If the first bar is projected, (by the operation of number 1key,) then the slide 10 will move one space and the register andrecorder will be operated to register and record the numeral 1. Ifnumber 2 key be operated, the second slide 6 will be projected and theslide 10 will move two spaces and record and register accordingly, andso on. The operation of a zero-key does not have any effect on slides 6,except to lock them, and does not release the controller-slides 10.

The resetting means for the controller-slides 10 may be of any suitabledescription. We have shown a resetting-frame 2O sliding on fixed pins21, projecting from frame 1 and also guided in a bracket on frame 1",having a downturned flange 21 engaging with shoulders 10 of all the bars10. A rack 22 on said frame 20 is engaged by.a mutilated pinion 23 on ashaft 2%, connected by chain 25 to a main handle 26, so that as saidhandle is rotated it causes the mutilated pinion to engage the rack 22and draw the frame 20 from the position shown in full lines to theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, thereby drawing any of thebars 10 which has been operated from its operated position to normalposition, as also shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 8. When themutilated gear has been turned sufficiently to effect this, it slips 0dof the rack and the frame 20 is restored to normal position by a spring27. When the slides 10 are restored to their normal position, the pawls17 snap into the respective notches therein and at the same time engagethe ends of the projected slide-bars 6 and drive the latter to normalposition, the tumblers 4 being pushed up by the same action. The tumblerfor the zero-key is, however, not so returned, as it does not engagewith any lug 8, and a special returning means is therefore provided forsame, consisting of a counterpoise 28, which lifts the tumbler as soonas the corresponding key is raised. Instead of the resetting mechanism,consisting of frame 20 and its actuating parts, any usual or suitablemeans for resetting the bars either simultaneously or successively maybe employed.

By a controller-slide as herein referred to we mean a slide that isadapted to control the operation of a register orrecorder in accordancewith its own movement, and by a keyboard mechanism for cash registersand recorders we mean a mechanism adapted to control either a registeror a recorder, or both a register and recorder.

It will be understood that the keys 2 are provided with suitable lockingmeans, such as shoulders 2, engaged by a locking-plate 30, to hold anyoperated key in depressed position until said plate is moved to releasethe keys. Furthermore, the action of any oper-. ated tumbler inpreventing operation of other tumblers also prevents the operation ofthe other keys, and in the case of a mechanical cashier this is animportant feature, as the control of the cashier mechanism is or may bedirectly from said keys and not from the selectors or tumblers abovedescribed. The zerokey participates in this locking action as well asthe others.

Having thus described our invention, the following is what we claim asnew therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A keyboard mechanism for cash registers and recorders, comprising aplurality of groups of keys, a plurality of groups of selecting-slidesoperated by said keys and a plurality of controller-slides provided withactuating means and adapted to engage the selector-slides and to belimited in their movement by such engagement, each controllerslide beingmovable to carry its engaging portion in a path adjacent and parallel tothe stop portions of the selecting-slides, which are arranged in a linetransverse to the move- IIO ment of said selecting-slides so that thesame portion of the controller-slide engages with any one of theselecting-slides that has been projected, and the movement of thecontroller-slide is determined by the transverse distance between theselecting-slides.

2. In combination with the controller-slides for a cash register orrecorder, and means for actuating said controller-slides, of a pluralityof selecting-slides arranged parallel to one another and transversely tothe controllerslides, said selecting-slides being arranged in groups onegroup for each controller-slide, and each of the controlling slidesbeing adapted to be engaged and stopped by any one of the correspondinggroups of selectingslides, and keys for operating said selectingslides,each controller-slide being movable to carry its engaging portion in apath adjacent and parallel to the stop portions ot the selecting-slides,which are arranged in a line transverse to the movement of saidselectingslides so that the same portion of the controller-slide engageswith any one of the selecting-slides that has been projected, and themovement of the controller'slide is determined by the transversedistance between the selecting-slides.

3. In combination with the controller-slides for a cash register orrecorder and means for actuating said controller-slides, of pawlsengaging the respective controller-slides, selecting-slides arranged ingroups engaging the respective pawls to release the pawls from thecontroller-slides on the operation of any selecting-slide of the group,said selectingslides also engaging the controller-slides when soreleased to stop same in selective position, and keys for operating saidselecting-slides, each controller-slide being movable to carry itsengaging portion in a path adjacent and parallel to the stop portions ofthe selecting slides, which are arranged in a line transverse to themovement of said selectingslides so that the same portion of thecontroller-slide engages with any one of the selecting-slides that hasbeen projected, and the movement of the controller-slide is determinedby the transverse distance between the selecting-slides.

at. In a keyboard mechanism for the purposes described, the combinationof the selectors controlling the extentof movement of a register orrecorder and the tumblers engaging therewith to operate same, and tolock the unoperated selectors.

5. The combination with the keys and the selectors, of tumblers operatedby the keys and operating the selectors and locking the unoperatedselectors and also the unoperated keys.

6. In a keyboard mechanism, the combination with the digit and zerokeys, and the selectors, of tumblers for the digit-keys and tumblers forthe zero-keys, the latter having means for automatically restoring sameto normal position, and the selectors having means adapted to be engagedby all the tumblers to lock the same, and also having means adapted tobe engaged by the digit-tumblers only, to operate the selectors.

7. In a keyboard mechanism, the combination with the digit and zerokeys, and the selectors, of tumblers for the digit-keys and tumblers forthe zero-keys, the latter having counterpoise means for automaticallyrestoring same to normal position, and the selectors having meansadapted to be engaged by all the tumblers to lock the same, and alsohaving means adapted to be engaged by the digittumblers only, to operatethe selectors.

8. In a keyboard mechanism for the purpose described, the combinationwith the plurality of keys and the plurality of selectingslides, of theplurality of pivoted tumblers engaged by the respective keys andengaging with the selecting-slides to operate a slide on the operationof the corresponding key and to lock the other slides.

9. In a keyboard mechanism for the purpose described, the combinationwith the plurality of groups of keys and the corresponding groups ofselecting-slides, of groups of pivoted tumblers arranged between saidkeys and slides, each tumbler being engaged by a corresponding key andengaging a corresponding slide, to operate the latter, and also engagingall the other selector-slides ot' the same group to lock the same frommovement.

10. The combination of the sliding-keys,the selecting-slides movingtransversely to the keys, the pivoted tumblers interposed between saidslides and keys, each tumbler serving to operate one slide and lockother slides, and controlling mechanism for the purpose set forth, whosemovement is controlled by said selecting-slides.

11. The combination with the sliding-keys, and the pivoted tumblers; ofthe selectingslides, each having a lug engaged by one of said tumblersto operate the slide, and lugs cooperating with all the other tumblerswhen operated to prevent operation of the slide after said othertumblers are operated.

12. The combination with a plurality of selecting devices moving inparallelism, of a controller-slide serving to control apparatus of thecharacter described and movable transversely to the selecting devices,actuating means for said controller-slide, and a pawl engaging with astop part of said controllerslide to normally arrest said slide, saidpawl being of sufficient width to be engaged by all of said selectingdevices, so that on operation of any selecting device the pawl will bereleased from the controller-slide and the latter will move under theinfluence of its actuating means until it engages the operated selectingdevice.

ISAAC S. DEMENT. FOSTER J. HULL. Witnesses:

A. P. KNIGHT, HARRY E. KNIGHT.

